Processing tank



March 9, 1937. c. JpHUGHEY PROCESSING TANK Filed Nov. 6, 1935 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mn. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESSING TANK Carter J. Hughey, Rochester, N. Y., assignor, by -mesne assignments, to Eastman Kodak Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 6, 1935, Serial N... 48521 air to displace the liquid as it is emptied from the tank. If only one passage is provided for the simultaneous passage of air and liquid out of and into the tank, it means that the filling or 15 emptying of the tank is going to be retarded, because of the two passing in opposite directions at the same time. Therefore, one object of my invention is to provide a light-tight cover for a tank of this type wherein separate passages are 20 provided for the passage of air and a liquid so that the tank can be rapidly emptied or filled. Another object is to provide a cover in which the air vent and the liquid duct are suitably positioned adjacent to each other so that they can 25 be covered or uncovered by a simple cap.

My invention consists of a cover in which there is a liquid duct for introducing a liquid into the tank, and an air vent adjacent to the liquid duct through which the displaced air asses from said 30 tank. A baiile plate is fastene to and spaced from the under side of the cover by a plurality of partitions which are suitably positioned relative to one another to form a pair of separate labyrinthian passages for the air and liquid en- 35 tering or leaving the tank. The baflle is smaller in diameter than the tank so that the separate labyrinthian passages connect the air vent and the liquid duct with the interior of the tank in such a way that the processing liquid can be in- 40 troduced into said tank without hindering the escape of the displaced air through the air vent. After the tank is filled with the processing liquid, the liquid duct and the air vent are closed by -a single cap so that the tank can be inverted without losing the liquid.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention 50 itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, togetherwith additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the 5 accompanying drawing in which,.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of my cover positioned on a tank, and,

I Figure 2 is a top plan view of the battle showin the separate labyrinthian passages; the cooperating portions of the-can and cover being shown in dotted lines for the sake of clearness.

Like reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawing.

In Figure 1, showing the preferred embodiment of my invention, reference number I indicates atank having a reel 2, on which photographic material to be processed is wound, suitably positioned therein in any well-known manner. The tank I is closed against the admission of light by the cover 3 which is held in place by a close frictional fit between the down turned portions 4- of the cover and the walls of the tank l as shown. The cover 3 can be placed on the tank in any suitable manner, 1. e., by screw-threaded engagement, without deviating from the spirit of my invention. A mouth or liquid duct 5, having vertical 'wall 6, is encircled by a raised U-shaped ring I, between the walls of which there is a channel 8 for purposes described later inthe specification. Referring now to Figure 2, the bafile 9 is shown having a plurality of concentric and radial partitions forming a pair of separate labyrinthian passages for guiding the processing liquid into the tank and the displaced air out of the tank. The passage taken by entering liquid is shown by dotted directional arrows, while the passage for the displaced airis shown by dot and dash directional arrows. The bafiie 9 is fixed to and spaced from the under side of the cover 3 by permanently seating the partitions l0 and H thereon in suitable recesses in the cover 3 so that liquid and light-tight Joints are formed between the two at these points of junction. This means of fastening the baflle 9 on the cover forms a series of enclosed labyrinthian passages through which the fluids may pass to and from the interior of the tank, but through which no light can enter the tank. The partitions I! are longer than the partitions l0 and H, as shown in Figure 1, so that they extend into the chanby the dotted arrows of Figure 2, and on through the labyrinthian passages to the openings M where it enters the tank I. The displaced. air leaves tank through the opening i5,- passes through its labyrinthian passage, asshown by the 5 dot and dash arrows, and finally is expelled from the tank. through an 'airyent IS in the cover 3. Referring to Figure 2, it can be seen that the passage for the air is separated from the liquid passage by means of the radial partitions ll and i8 in conjunction-with the 180 degree segment of. partitions l2. Although I have the partitions arranged on the baflie in a given pattern for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that the relative positions and number of 1 these partitions could be altered without deviating from the spirit of my invention as long as the passages for the air and liquid are maintained separate from one another. a

After the tank i has been fllled by a cap l9 sothat the tank can be inverted without losing any of the processing liquid there- -in. This cap I 9 is inade of a light gauge metal "and is adapted to be held in place by virtue of 2 the spring tension of its material of construc-' tion which acts to tightly grip the tapered walls of the raised U-shaped ring 1 surrounding the liquid duct 5.

The battle 9 is arcuate in shape so that the 30 bottoms of. the.liquid passages have a decided slope toward the tank for the purpose of speed- ,ing up the entrance of the liquid into said tank. The tank is rapidly emptied by removing the cap 59 and tilting the'tank so that the liquid 35 leaves the tank through the same passages through which it entered, and at the same time, the air replacing the liquid enters the tank through the air vent. i 6 and its associated pas- 50 1. A photographic processing tank comprising a tank, a cover for the tank including a pair of 'spacedplates separated by a plurality of par- 'titions forming separate labyrinthian passages providing access to the interior of the tank, one

of said plates being annular in shape and includ- Y with liquid, the liquid duct 5 and the air vent l6 are covered from said cover by a plurality of partitions adapting a tubular flanged opening, said tubulai flanged opening comprising two concentrically arranged walls connected at the top and perforated to form an air vent, said tubular opening and air vent leading to separate labyrinthian 5 passages, and a cap adapted to cover both the tubular open-ing and the air vent simultaneously.

2. A photographic processing tank comprising a cylindrical tank, a cover for said tank including a tubular flanged opening, said tubular flanged opening comprising two concentrically arranged walls connected at the top and perforate'd to form an air vent, a baflle plate fixed to and spaced from said cover by a plurality of partitions, said partitions adapted to form separate labyrinthian passages, certain of said passages connecting the interior of the tank with I the air vent, the other passages connecting said tubular opening with the interior of the tank, and a cap adapted to cover both the tubular opening and the air vent simultaneously.

3. In a photographic processing tank the combination with a tank, a cover for said tank including a tubular flanged opening, said tubular flanged opening comprising two concentrically arranged walls connected at the top and perforated to form an air vent, of a baflie plate of lesser radius than the tank fixed to and spaced ed to form separate labyrinthian passages, each of said passages having an opening to the edge of the bailie plate,'certain of said labyrinthian passages leading from the tubular opening while the others lead to the air vent, and a cap adapted to cover the tubular opening and the air vent simultaneously.

-iorated to form an air vent, said tubular opening and said air vent leading to separate labyrin: thian passages, the second of said spaced plates adapted to bow downwardly from its center to spwd up the flow of liquid through the labyrinthian passages thereon, and a cap adapted to cover both the tubular opening and the air vent simultaneously. 1

CARTER J. HUGHEY. 

